Goaltender{3 s protective plastic pads

ABSTRACT

Goaltender&#39;&#39;s protective plastic pads comprising a rectangular front face or layer of yielding but self-sustaining thin plastic material and a thick backup rear padding of cellular foamed plastic material having a longitudinal semicylindrical groove in the rear thereof to accommodate the leg; and a separable anklepiece at the bottom, the entire pad being adjustable merely by cutting the front face to the desired length and reapplying the ankle-piece to the shortened pad.

United States Patent 1 Chapdelaine [451 Apr. 15, 1975 1 GOALTENDERS PROTECTIVE PLASTIC PADS [75] Inventor: Romeo Chapdelaine,Leominster,

Mass.

[73] Assignee: Mylec, Inc., Winchendon Springs,

Mass.

[22] Filed: Nov. 23, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 418,610

[52] US. Cl. 2/22 [51] Int. Cl A41d 13/06 [58] Field of Search 2/2, 22, 24

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,184,868 5/1916 Pierce 2/22 1,225,799 5/1917 Goldsmith 1,253,260 1/19l8 Levinson 1,647,452 11/1927 Knischewski 2/22 Primary ExaminerWerner H. Schroeder Attorney, Agent, or FirmCharles R. Fay

[57] ABSTRACT Goaltenders protective plastic pads comprising a rectangular front face or layer of yielding but selfsustaining thin plastic material and a thick backup rear padding of cellular foamed plastic material having a longitudinal semicylindrical groove in the rear thereof to accommodate the leg; and a separable ankle-piece at the bottom, the entire pad being adjustable merely by cutting the front face to the desired length and reapplying the ankle-piece to the shortened pad.

2 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTEDAPRYSIQYS 877 077 Fi -m "l L [gum 42 "iii GOALTENDERS PROTECTIVE PLASTIC PADS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The game of hockey ancl particularly the game of street hockey have become very popular especially for young people. but the cost of equipment and particularly padding is excessive. Especially necessary is padding for the goaltender but for street hockey regular goaltenders pads are substantially out of the question for most people. and it is the purpose of the present invention to provide inexpensive. adequate. long-lasting and extremely light weight goaltenders pads particularly adapted for street hockey but not limited thereto.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A front relatively thin resilient but self-sustaining plastic front face or layer is molded in one piece to simulate the padding used in hockey for the goaltenders legs. This face is a onepiece molding. and it is backed up by a thick foamed cellular soft pad which has at the rear face thereof a longitudinal semicylindrical groove to fit the leg and knee and at the bottom it has a cut-out to fit the ankle.

These pieces are held together by interweaving straps. The front face has an extension removably secured thereto. this extension being short and shaped to accommodate the ankle.

The device is adjustable merely by cutting off a portion of the plastic front protective face and then reapplying the shaped ankle-piece thereto. and it is very easy to provide thereby any length of leg pad desired. whereas only one size needs to be manufactured.

The new padding is lighter in weight than conventional pads giving greater leg maneuverability and it is more flexible than the usual stuffed pad. it keeps its shape and form. whereas conventional pads tend to flatten after usage. and it is very satisfactory insofar as protection is concerned. Either the foam piece or the front protective piece may be replaced without the necessity of buying the entire unit. There is no stitching involved in the entire device which is easy to apply to the leg and the cost is much less than conventional pads. whereas protective value is not lost.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a view in front elevation of the manufactured device;

FIG. 2 is a view in rear elevation thereof;

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view looking in the direction of arrow 3 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a view in side elevation looking in the direction of arrow 4 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is an interior view of the ankle-piece. and

FIG. 6 is a section on line 6-6 of FIG. 1.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Essentially the present device is made of two separate pieces, a molded plastic. sheet-like front protective face or layer generally indicated at 10 and which is in the form of a shell having a rim thereabout as indicated at 12, forming an elongated rectangular container for the soft, cellular, foamed, backing-up protector member generally indicated at 14.

The front configuration of the plastic face 10 may be as desired but it is preferred that it should at least imitate in some respects the appearance of the normal well known canvaspadded leg protector for a hockey goaltender. and this has been illustrated in FIG. I.

The front face I0 is provided with a series of openings at l6. 16 for the provision of interweaving straps 18 which extend therethrough and through holes formed in the foam padding 14, said straps extending across the foam padding 14 as is indicated at 20 in FIGS. 2 and 3. Of course there may be as many of these straps as may be desired. The rim 12 of the front face 10 is provided with outstanding integral tongues 21. 21 which extend to the rear. and these are apertured at their ends to receive the straps (and the buckles). The entire device may be buckled to the leg at the rear thereof. leaving the front face comparatively clear of the straps except as shown in FIG. I. in order to secure the front face and the rear foam padding together. The front face and the rear foam padding being separate. either piece may be replaced if needed.

The foam backing 14 is of the size and shape of the front face 10 but its is of course very thick as illustrated in FIGS. 3. 4 and .6 and it is provided with a longitudinal recess at the rear which in this case is e.g.. an elongated cylindrical depression as indicated at 22. The opposite edges of this recess are defined by raised elongated ridges 24 and 26, and it will be noted that as shown in FIGS. 2. 3 and 6 the ridge 24, is closer to the adjacent side edge than is the ridge 26. The goaltenders leg pad shown therefore will be right-handed because it provides clearance for the users legs at the short side where the ridge 24 is. and a wider protective area at the outside of the leg at the side where the ridge 26 is.

Although the front protective face 10 is essentially a onepiece member. it is nevertheless in this case made of two pieces. it having a foot and ankle member generally indicated at 30 which is very short compared to the length of the main part of the face. This extension is perhaps best seen from the inside aspect thereof in FIG. 5. It has an indentation at 32 for the ankle ofthe wearer and a rim 34 extending about the bottom and the side edges thereof. this edge extending inside of the lower edge portions at 36. 36 of the rims 12 of the front protective face 10, and is detachably riveted thereto as for instance by plastic rivets 38 having spring washers or the like 40 to hold the parts together.

Therefore it will be seen that the manufactured article of FIGS. 1 and 2 may be cut off in order to shorten it to any point desired along the edge thereof from the bottom. the demarcation line being indicated at 42 in FIG. 1. The foot and ankle part 30 is then removed from the sawed off piece and reapplied by means of the rivets and punched holes to the rim 12 at the end of the remainder of the part 10. Therefore it is only necessary to manufacture one single shell face member which can be shortened as desired. and only one single padding member which is inverted from the right-hand position shown in FIG. 2 so as to provide a left-hand leg member.

I claim:

1. Protective padding comprising a relatively thin elongated plastic molded front face, a foamed cellular plastic rear member. said rear member being of substantial thickness, means temporarily securing said members together. an elongated recess in the foam member facing away from the front face. a separate foot and ankle member located at one end of the rectangular face, and means securing the foot and ankle member to the front face. the foot and ankle member being in prolongation of the front face. and the foam padding member extending the entire length of both the front face and the foot and ankle member.

the means for securing the front face to the padding member comprising a strap. said front face having a pair of spaced apertures therein receiving the strap. the strap extending to the rear about the padding member.

2. Protective padding comprising a relatively thin elongated plastic molded front face. a foamed cellular plastic rear member. said rear member being of substantial thickness. means temporarily securing said members together. an elongated recess in the foam member facing away from the front face. a separate foot and ankle member located at one end of the rect- 4 angular face. and means securing the foot and ankle member to the front face. the foot and ankle member being in prolongation of the front face. and the foam padding member extending the entire length of both the front face and the foot and ankle member.

a rim for the front face and a series of relatively short free-ended straps integrally molded with respect to the rim. each of said straps having a slot in a free terminal end portion thereof. wherein the means securing the front face to the foam padding member comprises separate straps extending through corresponding apertures in the front face and in the padding member and said slots. 

1. Protective padding comprising a relatively thin elongated plastic molded front face, a foamed cellular plastic rear member, said rear member being of substantial thickness, means temporarily securing said members together, an elongated recess in the foam member facing away from the front face, a separate foot and ankle member located at one end of the rectangular face, and means securing the foot and ankle member to the front face, the foot and ankle member being in prolongation of the front face, and the foam padding member extending the entire length of both the front face and the foot and ankle member, the means for securing the front face to the padding member comprising a strap, said front face having a pair of spaced apertures therein receiving the strap, the strap extending to the rear about the padding member.
 2. Protective padding comprising a relatively thin elongated plastic molded front face, a foamed cellular plastic rear member, said rear member being of substantial thickness, means temporarily securing said members together, an elongated recess in the foam member facing away from the front face, a separate foot and ankle member located at one end of the rectangular face, and means securing the foot and ankle member to the front face, the foot and ankle member being in prolongation of the front face, and the foam padding member extending the entire length of both the front face and the foot and ankle member, a rim for the front face and a series of relatively short free-ended straps integrally molded with respect to the rim, each of said straps having a slot in a free terminal end portion thereof, wherein the means securing the front face to the foam padding member comprises separate straps extending through corresponding apertures in the front face and in the padding member and said slots. 